Lifetime TV announces new reality show: Deadbeat Dads

April 28, 2:25 PMSingle Parenting ExaminerBarbara Thompson

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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lifetime TV recently announced the launch of its new reality show, Deadbeat Dads.  The show was originally developed for Fox but that network abandoned its plans last year after a public outcry.  The show will reportedly follow Jim Durham, founder of a private child support collection agency as he tracks down and confronts dads who don't pay child support.

Reuters describes Jim Durham as "an avenger of penniless single mothers [who] hunts down deadbeat dads and forces them to pay child support." The article goes on to describe Durham as "a sort of 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' for tracking deadbeats."

In the show's pilot, a financially destitute single mother is contrasted with her wealthy ex-husband.  Durham tracks the man down and confronts him at his country club in front of his friends.

The US Census Bureau reports that in 2006 roughly 78% of custodial single parents who had child support orders received at least part of the money they were due.  Mothers and fathers were equally likely to pay the full amount of child support owed, about 46%.  The father's rights organization Fathers & Families argues that in most cases, the fathers who don't pay the child support they owe are living in poverty themselves.  They resent the fact that the program will show impoverished mothers with wealthy fathers and further the stereotype that all men are selfish deadbeats abandoning their children.

Jim Durham, the show's star, is no stranger to controversy.  He founded the private child support collection agency National Child Support.  His firm and others like it have been under fire for years from father's rights groups and women's advocacy groups alike.  In many cases, the information about child support debts that is fed to private collections agencies is incorrect and the methods the agencies use to collect are questionable.  Since child support is considered a court award and not a regular debt, child support collection agencies are not bound by the same rules as consumer debt collection agencies.  Women's rights groups claim that these private collection agencies are taking advantage of vulnerable single mothers.  Generally the firms charge an application fee, 30-40% "commission" on any money collected, and administrative fees.  Once a contract is signed, the collection agency can pocket the commission on any money that comes in, even if they had nothing to do with collecting the money.

Aside from questions about the ethics of private collection agencies, the validity of the "deadbeat dad" stereotype, and the rights of the fathers who will unwittingly star in the reality series, some groups say there is a bigger issue.  The children of the men featured on this program will be humiliated and alienated.  They are too young to understand the realities of the legal and financial situation and are too young to consent to having their "dirty laundry" aired on national TV.  Even children who don't turn on the television and see their own father being called a deadbeat or hear about it from a friend or schoolmate will be exposed to the stereotype and may make assumptions about their own fathers.

The national Fathers & Families foundation led the campaign last year that resulted in Fox dropping its plans to pursue this series and they have already started a similar campaign against Lifetime TV.

As a single mother, it is easy to look around and find examples of deadbeat dads which are absolutely infuriating.  As an open-minded single mother, it is also easy to find examples of deadbeat mothers and vindictive mothers working against good fathers who are doing their best to do right by their children.  I was not able to back up some of the statistics quoted by Fathers & Families about the percentage of men who pay the full amount of child support owed but to me, that issue is secondary.  The biggest problem I have with a television program like this is the effect that it will have on the children.  It will be interesting to see whether Lifetime decides to proceed with the pilot.   What do you think about Lifetime's decision to develop this program?

The LA Single Parenting Examiner weighs in on this discussion from the perspective of a single mom fighting to get support from a deadbeat dad. 

Update: Houston Fatherhood Examiner shares his thoughts on the program, both as a father who pays child support and a step-father of children who are owed support.